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Withdrawal agreement, vote of no confidence, exit from Brexit: these and other important terms relating to the vote in the British House of Commons can be found here in an overview.
By Anne Demmer, Jens-Peter Marquardt and Thomas Spickhofen
The British parliament votes tonight on the treaty negotiated by the EU for the exit of Great Britain. The result is uncertain, but many observers expect a rejection of the project. Some important terms about Brexit:
Withdrawal agreement and political declaration
The lower house votes on the legally binding exit agreement negotiated between London and Brussels. The political declaration on the future partnership between the United Kingdom and the European Union, which is not legally binding, is also voted.
The exit agreement provides, inter alia, that after the end of the British membership of the EU on March 29, a transitional period will enter into force initially. It is limited until the end of 2020, but can be extended. In this period, Britain will remain in the single market and in the Customs Union: free movement of citizens will continue for the time being, and companies will continue to carry their goods across the Channel without customs duties and other barriers to trade. The exit agreement also states that the British continue to pay their contributions to the EU budget during the transition period. But they are no longer involved in the decisions of the EU. EU citizens already living in the UK or entering the transition period will retain their right of permanent residence. This also applies to the English on the continent.
Furthermore, London guarantees that there will be no border controls between the Northern Ireland Province and the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the EU in the future, even after the transition period. Above all, this guarantee, the so-called "backstop", makes the majority for the withdrawal contract in the lower house unlikely. Critics fear that this will make Northern Ireland a special economic zone, or that Britain will remain permanently trapped in the Customs Union and in the internal market.
The separate political declaration outlines the ways in which London and Brussels intend to regulate their future relations as a whole. The details of this partnership will be negotiated during the transition period.
"Meaningful vote"
The "significant vote" is an additional invention to this Brexit process. Parliament pushed it against the government when it came to the EU exit law. Theresa May was under pressure because many in Parliament – from opposition to critics in their own ranks – were dissatisfied with the Prime Minister's negotiating goals. Therefore, they wanted to allow Parliament to vote on the outcome of the negotiations. The meaningful vote is not legally binding, but has a high political significance.
For the vote a simple majority of the deputies present is sufficient, ie 320 votes. The conservative conservatives of Theresa May, however, have only 316 mandates, and of these conservative parliamentarians are several tens ready to vote against the agreement. Since the opposition wants to vote for the most part with no, it is not clear how the government wants to get a majority here.
If, during the vote, Parliament continues to say yes, we are in agreement with the treaty, so the government still has to apply the relevant laws through both Houses of Parliament. On the other hand, if the deputies say: No, we are not in agreement with the contract, so May has three days to submit a plan B. This can be anything: for example, a renewed vote in parliament , a Brexit without agreement, or an extension of the exit period beyond March 29th.
Exit from Brexit
Can Britain withdraw unilaterally from the EU? Yes. The European Court of Justice ruled at the end of last year. So Britain could go back without asking permission from other EU states.
According to recent surveys, a small majority of British citizens want to remain in the EU. If the undecided and unspecified are excluded, the ratio is 54% in favor of EU membership and 46% to those who oppose it. The country is still deeply divided on Brexit. Although there are bipartisan members in the British House of Commons, who are campaigning for a second referendum, but before the Brexit vote is still not a majority. The British prime minister rejects a second referendum. He repeatedly warned Brexit supporters in parliament in recent weeks – the rejection of his agreement could lead to a chaotic or perhaps not to Brexit.
New election and no confidence vote
It is the favorite plan of the Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn: a new election of the British House of Commons. There are two ways in the current situation: one is that there is a two-thirds majority in the lower house – it is 434 votes. Labor comes together with the Scottish SNP, the Liberal Democrats and some minor parties, but only for a maximum of 317 votes. It would take about 120 conservatives who want to force their government to new elections.
The other way is through a parliamentary vote of no confidence against the government. It only requires a simple majority, so the opposition would only require a good dozen Tory votes – or the support of the Northern Irish DUP, which is actually on the side of the government. If a vote of no confidence were to come through Parliament, then the Conservatives would have 14 days to form a new government. If they can not do it, they will be automatically re-elected.
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